The State Museum this week debuts a special Gettysburg exhibit that they expect will become a permanent display. It wasn't long after the famous battle that Pennsylvania, understanding the significance of what occurred at Gettysburg, began to collect artifacts. The state also commissioned Peter F. Rothermel's massive painting "Battle of Gettysburg: Pickett's Charge." The new exhibit, "Objects of Valor: Commemorating the Civil War in Pennsylvania," surrounds Rothermel's famous work with some of his other battle paintings as well as many of the State Museum's significant artifacts from the period. Some of the items on display include:

1. There is a kepi soldier's cap with a bullet hole hold passing through it. Amazingly the soldier survived the shot and lived to personally donate what he considered his lucky hat to the museum in 1915.

2. There is a rare Gillmore Medal, which was an unofficial honor given by Major General Quincy A. Gillmore to certain troops he commanded. This particular medal was given to an African American soldier David Ramsey who was wounded twice though the reasons for this specific honor are lost to history.

3. There is a case of inscribed objects including a sword presented to Colonel Hugh McNeil that he left behind at a boarding house with instructions should he be killed. Indeed he was killed. And, the museum has the sword along with the colonel's instruction letter sent to his sister who donated the sword.

4. There is the uniform of General John White Geary who after the war became a governor of Pennsylvania. The museum is not entirely sure what happened to the uniform after the war. But it wound up in the possession of the the Adjutant General office that donated it to the State Museum. There is also a Rothermel painting in the display that shows the General in action.

5. There is a drum with a bullet hole acquired by Rothermel from the battle used as a model for the drums in the painting.

If you go: "Objects of Valor: Commemorating the Civil War in Pennsylvania," opens Friday, April 19, with a free reception from 7 to 9 p.m.

Museum hours are Wednesday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday, noon to 5 p.m. Admission is $5 for adults, $4 for children and senior citizens.